First of all, I'd like to praise Kate Andrews for such a wonderful article. We need more bloggers and authors to showcase the importance of design in our society -- mainly environmental design. Without environmental design, there would be no urban planning, product design, architecture or beautifully crafted interiors. Still, the role of designers is more than just making stuff "look pretty" -- it's about functional design. A bowl isn't a bowl unless it's caved in to hold items; and a door isn't a door unless it provides privacy or blocks out the elements. Without those designers, our world would be a rather chaotic place. People are going to realize soon enough that as time goes by and as technology continues to flourish, rapid prototypes will continue to become more than important than ever!!!